FR2805625A1 - Access management method for sales promotion on Internet, involves replacing privileged access link by substitution link for accessing corresponding sites - Google Patents

Abstract

A privileged access link specifying an uniform resource locator (URL), which is an access link activated by a customer corresponding to the site is replaced by a substitution access link specifying another URL. The customer gains access to a destination belonging to different sites through intermediate equipment. An independent claim is also included for access management system.

Description

Method and system for granting privileges by an access manager within a communication network. The field of the invention is that of access management within a communication network interconnecting a plurality of sites. It is assumed in the following description that the customer can selectively access each of the sites, via a terminal, by activating an access link corresponding to the site of his choice.

More specifically, the invention relates to a method and a system for granting privileges, associated with such access links, to customers.

The communication network may especially, but not exclusively, be an internet-type network, such as the global Internet network. In this case, the access links are destination addresses (or URLs, for "Uniform Resource Locator" in English) to information pages (or Web pages).

Furthermore, the present invention applies not only when the client directly accesses the communication network, but also when he accesses it via (at least) another telecommunication network to which he is subscribed. This other telecommunication network is for example the switched telephone network ("fixed network") a radio network ("mobile network").

In the case of a radiocommunication network, it uses for example the GSM standard (for "Global System for Mobile Communications" in English), an equivalent or concurrent standard such as DCS 1800 (for "Digital Cellular at 800 Mhz", in English), PCS 1900 (for "Personal Communication System at 1900 MHz"), DECT (for "Digital European Cordless Telecommunications"), GPRS (for "General Packet Radio Service") ) or UTMS (for "Universal Mobile Telecommunication System").

In order to explain the drawbacks of the prior art in terms of access management, the current technique of management of access to a page within the Internet network is now recalled. Typically, a web page can be associated with either the site (home page) or part of a site (other page (s) of the site). Each web page may also be a service of a site.

It is clear that the disadvantages that will be described throughout this illustrative example are common to other access management techniques of the prior art. It is assumed that the customer subscribes to a telecommunication network interconnected to the Internet. Via his terminal (or "network equipment"), he makes an Internet connection request from his service provider (or "provider"), which is then responsible for ensuring communication between the customer terminal and the Internet network. After this communication is established, the client can access the different web pages in a client-server mode. It has for it a client software included in its terminal, namely a browser (or "browser"), including a direct mode of operation and an indirect mode of operation.

In the direct operating mode, the browser uses URLs that the user knows and communicates directly to the browser.

In the indirect mode of operation, the browser uses hypertext links (or hyperlinks) contained in another web page, displayed on the screen of the terminal. Each hyperlink comprises on the one hand a URL address and a hyperlink area (image and / or text) contained in the web page displayed on the screen of the terminal.

After the client provides a URL, directly by input (direct mode) or indirectly by clicking on a hyperlink area corresponding to a Web page of his choice (indirect mode), the browser sends a request containing the corresponding URL . In both cases, we talk about the activation of the access link that is the URL.

This request is received by the server containing the searched web page (that is to say the URL has been provided), so that by return this web page is sent by the server on the network, in a special language , HTML (for "Hypertext MarkUp Language"). This language contains instructions (tags) that tell the client terminal browser how to organize the web page when it arrives.

The traditional use of URLs, as described above, has several disadvantages and does not meet all needs.

First, it does not promote the development of commercial promotion on the Internet. Indeed, in the absence of an alternative, commercial promotion is now focused on banner advertising banners, which are hypertext link zones added to certain web pages, and on which internet users can click to be directed to other web pages. A disadvantage of these banners is that they allow the passage of only a limited flow of commercial data, so as not to increase the loading times of the web pages that support them.

Moreover, it is common that the customer is reluctant, or even give up, to go to some web pages, including purely advertising pages, because his time of Internet connection is usually billed. Indeed, currently, when it wants to access the Internet, the customer must take from a service provider, a generally paying subscription (fixed price, duration, or depending on the level of costs of communications local). It should be noted that free subscriptions are also sometimes offered, but in this case, it is the access provider who bears the cost of access. Therefore, even in this case, the issue of support for connection costs remains.

It is therefore necessary to imagine a mechanism to not charge access to certain web pages, in part or in full, to the customer or the access provider. For example, a website owner may want his site to be accessible for free for both the customer and the service provider.

The foregoing concerning the provision of commercial advertising information of course applies, more generally, to the provision of any kind of information.

In addition, the traditional use of URLs does not automatically filter customers who may have access, in part or in full, to certain sites (homepages) and / or certain services (other Web pages).

Yet another disadvantage is that it does not distinguish several distinct circuits of access to a given URL.

The invention particularly aims to overcome these disadvantages of the state of the art.

More precisely, one of the objectives of the present invention is to provide an access management technique within a communication network, enabling a manager of these accesses to grant privileges to his clients. Privileges include, but are not limited to, changes to the costs of accessing a site and / or service of a site, access to a site and / or part of a reserved site and / or to a particular service of a site, the possibility of accessing a site and / or a service of a site via a specific circuit, ...

The invention also aims to provide such a technique is simple to implement and inexpensive.

Another object of the invention is to provide such a technique which one of the embodiments does not require any modification of the customer terminals. Yet another object of the invention is to provide such a technique that one of the alternative embodiments does not require any modification of the facilities of the site managers.

These various objectives, as well as others that will appear subsequently, are achieved according to the invention using a privilege granting process by an access manager within the communication network to at least some of its clients, said communication network interconnecting a plurality of sites to which a customer can selectively access via a terminal, by activating a corresponding access link. According to the present invention, it manages a list of privileged access links, each corresponding to a site and / or 'service of a site, a partnership agreement having been concluded between said access manager and a manager of said site for said privileged access links. When an access link activated and / or received by one of said clients is one of said privileged access links, that 'is replaced by a substitute access link, so that said client accesses * an intermediate equipment of said network communication corresponding to said substitute access link, to a destination belonging to the group comprising: said site and / or said service corresponding to said privileged access link activated and / or received, a different site and / or service, distinct from the one corresponding to said privileged access link activated and / or received.

The present invention is therefore based on the general concept of replacing a "privileged access link" with a "substitute access link", so that the client has access to a given destination (which may be distinct from that initially requested) intermediate equipment. In general, this replacement is performed upstream of the intermediate equipment (different variants of this replacement are proposed and discussed in detail below).

Note that in order to be able to redirect the client to its final destination the intermediate equipment must first find the "privileged access link" replaces the "substitute access link".

Advantageously, said access manager within the communication network belongs to the group comprising: the access providers, ensuring an interconnection between said communication network and a telecommunications network, and non-service providers.

By provider not providing access, means but not exclusively a company managing an intermediate equipment as aforesaid, and thus able to grant privileges to its customers, without being an access provider.

Advantageously, the replacement of one of said privileged access links and / or the activation of one of said substitution access links requires the agreement of said client and / or said site manager and / or said access manager. .

In other words, various access control functions, managed by different entities of the system, can be provided, alone or in combination.

Preferably, said agreement of the site manager and / or said access manager is a function of the membership of said client to a group of predetermined clients. By customer group, we mean including, but not limited to, a group of subscribers to the site manager, access manager, ..., or group of customers in the same geographical area.

Preferably, in the absence of the agreement of said client and / or said site manager, it is proposed to said client to access without privilege to said site and / or said service corresponding to the privileged access link activated and / or received.

In an advantageous embodiment of the invention, said privileged access links and / or said alternative access links can be directly identified on the terminal of said clients.

Thus the customer is encouraged to use the sites and / or services to which he can access with privileges. Preferably, said identification of one of said privileged access links and / or one of said substitution access links consists of a modification of the graphical representation and / or sound, by said terminal, of said access link. privileged and / or said alternative access link.

Preferably, the replacement of one of said privileged access links by said substitution access links is performed according to one of the techniques belonging to the group comprising - prior static replacement, by said site manager; dynamic replacement, by an equipment of said communication network and / or equipment of said client.

Note that the dynamic replacement is done transparently for the site manager. It should also be noted that neither the static replacement nor the first two variants of the dynamic replacement require a modification of the client terminals.

Advantageously, in order to find the privileged access link replaced by said substitution access link, said intermediate equipment implements a technique belonging to the group comprising: - encapsulation of said privileged access link contained in said substitution access link; consultation of a correspondence table associating with each substitute access link the privileged access link it replaces.

The first variant (de-encapsulation) assumes, of course, a prior encapsulation privileged access link in the substitution access link during the so-called replacement step.

advantageously, the privileges associated with each of the said alternative access links belong to the group comprising: modification of the costs of access to a site and / or service of a site; - access to a site and / or part of a reserved site; - access to a particular service of a site; - access to a site and / or service of a site via a specific circuit. Access costs are, for example, first access costs up to the communication network (via one or more intermediate networks, fixed (RTC) or mobile (GSM, <B> ..., < And / or second access costs within the communication network, ie in the case of the Internet, the first costs are zero while the second costs, which are not, are generally the customer's charge (paid service of the access provider).

In a particular embodiment of the invention, said communication network is an internet-type network, in that said access links are address-addresses of information pages.

Thus, in the particular case of the Internet, the invention applies both to the direct operating mode and the indirect operating mode. It should be remembered that, whatever the mode of operation, the activation of an access link consists in the sending by the browser of a request containing the requested URL.

The invention also relates to a system for granting access privileges by an access manager within a communication network to at least some of its clients, said communication network interconnecting a plurality of sites to which a customer can selectively access via a terminal, by activating a corresponding access link. According to the invention, this system comprises means for managing a list of privileged access links, each corresponding to a site and / or a service of a site, a partnership agreement having been concluded between said manager access and a manager of said site for said privileged access links; means of replacement access link activated and / or received by one of said clients, if it is one of said privileged access links, by a substitution access link.

In this way, said client accesses, via an intermediate equipment of said communication network corresponding to said substitution access link, to a destination belonging to the group comprising - said site and / or said service corresponding to said privileged access link activated and / or received; a different site and / or service, separate from the one corresponding to said privileged access link activated and / or received.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear on reading the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, given by way of indicative and nonlimiting example, and the appended drawings, in which - the FIG. 1 schematizes an exemplary configuration of communication networks in which the invention can be implemented; FIG. 2 schematically illustrates the successive steps of a first embodiment of the privilege granting method according to the invention; ; FIG. 3 schematically illustrates the successive steps of a second embodiment of the privilege grant method according to the invention. In the configuration of FIG. 1, the customers are subscribers either to the switched telephone network (PSTN) 4 or to a radiocommunication network (for example according to GSM or other standard) 5, and use respectively a fixed terminal 1 or a mobile terminal 2. They can access websites of the Internet network 3, via a gateway (or proxy server) 6, 7 interconnecting the network 4, 5 to which customers are subscribed and the Internet network 3.

The proxy servers (or relay servers) are managed by an Internet access provider, who is for example also the operator of the network 4, 5 to which the subscriber client.

In general, there is a distinction between the "cache" Proxy servers, which are used to store web pages, which are the subject of the most frequent requests, so as to avoid queries on remote servers. In this case, the requests managed by the proxy servers are not always transmitted to the final site; - Proxy "pass" servers, which allow to dynamically modify a request (change of a name of server by another), so as to allow a load sharing between servers.

In the context of the embodiment described, it should be noted that it is essential for the operator to control the first "cache" proxy server that the user encounters when accessing the Internet, which may be the case if the user operator is the access operator. The access links that clients activate to access the various available sites are URLs. It is recalled that a URL is a destination address of a web page. It includes - the type of service (for example "http: //" for a web server); - the server's "Full Qualified Domain Name" (FDQN) address, which is a transcription of an IP address into words, according to the following rule: "www.organisation.domain" - the situation of the Web page searched on the server (directory tree (s)) - the name of the searched web page - optionally, additional parameters provided by client to specify the context of his request.

For example, the URL "http://www.sfr.com/subscribers/2000.htm" makes it possible to launch a request to a Web server whose address FDQN is "www.sfr.com", to ask him to search, in the directory "subscribers", the web page "2000.htm"; In the particular embodiment presented here, the invention relates to the granting of privileges' some of its customers by an access manager within the Internet network 3.

The access manager is for example also the Internet access provider (which itself, for example, also the operator of the network 4, 5 to which the customer is subscribed). In this case, it has a main server 8 and Proxy servers 6, 7 mentioned above.

The main server 8 of the access manager, and possibly Proxy servers 6, 7, can manage a list of privileged access URLs (or links), each corresponding to a particular web page. It is assumed that a partnership agreement has been concluded between the access manager and the manager (s) of the site (s) whose web pages bear these privileged access URLs. The site manager is sometimes also called provider of information and / or services.

It is clear that in the list of privileged access URLs, one can find URLs corresponding to several web pages of the same site. This list contains, for example, all the pages of a site (whose URLs contain the same FDQN address), or all the directory pages or subdirectory of a site (whose URLs contain same FDQN address and one or more same directory tree level (s)).

For the sake of simplification, and as illustrated in FIG. 1, it is assumed in the following description that the list of privileged access URL addresses comprises only the URLs (URLI, URL2, ...) corresponding to the pages. Web site A, located on the main server 9 of a single site manager. It should be noted that this server 9 also supports another site B, presented in detail subsequently, whose web pages are URL11, URL12, ...

When an active client (in a request) or receives (in a web page) one of the privileged access URLs, the general principle of the invention is to replace it with a substitution URL, which contains that of the main server 8 of the access manager. Thus, it is ultimately a request to the address of the main server 8 of the access manager, which is issued per client. From this first request, the main server 8 of the access manager finds the privileged access URL address and builds a second request either to it or to another predetermined URL address. When he receives the answer to this second request, he sends it back to the client, for whom the operation is transparent.

For example, the client with the mobile terminal 2 activates the URL1 of site A of the site manager. In the Proxy server 6, this is replaced by a URL 'containing the address "www.sfr.com of the main server 8 of the access manager, who builds a request to the URL1 of the site A , either to the URL11 of the B site.

This mechanism of passage through the main server 8 of the access manager allows the latter to grant privileges to some of its customers.

In particular, it allows the access manager to distinguish between commercial flows (advertising web pages), so that they can bill them (that is to say charge their access) not entirely to the customer but at least partly to the (x) manager (s) of the site (s) containing these advertising web pages. It can even be expected that the access manager will also support part of the access costs. One of the applications of the present invention is therefore a new approach to Internet business promotion.

As a result of the description, we consider only the case of a privilege consisting of reduction (partial or total) for the customer access costs related to access to one or more of the particular web pages mentioned above. It is clear however that the invention also applies to other privileges, such as in particular access to a reserved site and / or at least one web page of a reserved.

The mechanism of passage through the main server 8 of the access manager also allows the latter to provide an access control function. Indeed, the effective replacement of a privileged access URL address by an alternative access URL address may be linked to the prior obtaining of an agreement from the site manager and / or the access manager and / or the customer. Alternatively (or in combination), it can be provided that the activation of a substitution access URL also requires prior agreement.

If the agreement is requested from the client, the latter may be informed, prior to his decision, of the nature of the privilege offered to him.

For example, the site manager may only accept the cost of connecting to some of the web pages of the site for customers in a specific geographic area (such as a city-only business campaign), or belonging to a given group (in the case of customers who subscribe to this site manager or to the access manager).

In the absence of agreement, it is possible to offer the customer access anyway to the requested web page, but in this case without any privilege. For example, the customer agrees to pay the costs of accessing a commercial web page.

A first specific embodiment of the privilege granting method according to the invention is now presented with reference to FIG.

It is assumed here that the site manager wishes to take care of all the costs of access to the web page (from its site A) located at URL1. For this, replace, in a static manner beforehand ("encapsulation"), this privileged access URL1 address by a URL address' substitution access. The URL address' is that discussed above in relation to Figure 1, and thus contains the address ".sfr.com" of the main server 8 of the access manager. For example, it is written "http: // www com / free / encaps = ZZZ, mode = free, cond = 100%" where ZZZ represents the encoding of the URL1 address intended to allow reconstitution by the main server 8 of the database manager. 'access.

The successive steps illustrated diagrammatically in FIG. 2 are now described.

 Steps 20 and 21: the client receives from the site manager, via the proxy server, a web page including at least one hyperlink to another web page. This hyperlink comprises the aforementioned URL address and an associated hypertext link zone (intended to appear within the web page when it is displayed on the screen of the client terminal).

It should be noted that in order to warn the customer of the particular nature of the URL address, it and / or its associated hypertext link zone can be modified in their graphic representation (for example, presence of a particular character string such as "800") and / or sound.

 Step 22 and 23: The client issues a request with the URL address' enabled. This request is transmitted via the proxy server to the main server of the access manager. Step 24: upon receipt of this request, the main access manager server reconstructs the URL1 address (by unencapsulation or use of a correspondence table) and constitutes a billing receipt (or CDR, for "Call Detailed Record" in English). This billing ticket can contain information on the time, the access method, the volume transferred, the duration of the transfer, the required URL, etc. It can be used as a basis for a new cost distribution key between the client, the site manager, the access manager, or any other entity that participates in the privilege granting system.

The main server of the access manager may also request the customer's agreement on the conditions (free or partial free) proposed. To do this, several techniques are possible. First of all use the acknowledgment associated with the request to signify the conditions, as well as additional information ("This is a video, of duration ..., its transmission will be discarded from your communication." Do you want to receive it? ? Yes No"). It should be noted that this part of the communication can be done or not via secure and / or signed links.

 Steps 25 and 26: The main server of the access manager issues a request with the URL1 enabled. This request is forwarded to the primary site manager server that responds by sending the web page located at URL1.

 Step 27 and 28: The main access manager server sends this response to the client via the proxy server.

It is clear that if the client knows the URL '(it can be broadcast in a log), he can enter it directly on his terminal, and the process then starts directly in step 22.

A second specific embodiment of the privilege grant method according to the invention is now presented in connection with FIG.

This second embodiment differs from the first described above only in the technique used to perform the replacement of the privileged access URL1 by the substitution access URL. Only the first three steps 30 to 32 of this second embodiment are concerned and therefore described below. The unchanged steps between the two embodiments have the same reference numerals 22 to 28.

It is again assumed that the site manager wishes to take care of all the costs of accessing the web page (from its site A) located at URL1.

It is also recalled that the proxy is part of the equipment of the access manager, the latter being in the example discussed confused with the ISP.

 Step 30: the site manager sends to the client, via the proxy server, a web page including at least one hyperlink to the web page located at address 1. This hyperlink therefore includes the URL address1 and the associated zone of Hyperlink.

 Step 31: The proxy server analyzes all the responses (ie the web pages) it relays, and looks for the presence of one or more privileged access URLs (ie say the occurrence of a number of strings). For this the Proxy server can extract the basiles <A href = xyz> Text </ a> in the html responses. When it detects one of the privileged access URLs (URL1 in this example), it dynamically replaces it within the Web page with a substitution URL (URL ' in this example).

Such a dynamic replacement can be performed in a proxy server "pass". It is important to note that, in this case, an existing non-obvious functionality is used in a new non-obvious way. Indeed, it is not a question of allowing load sharing between servers.

 Step 32: The proxy server sends the modified web page to the client (that is, containing the URL address).

It should be noted that with this second embodiment, the site manager does not have to modify the privileged access URLs contained in his web pages.

In a general way, the replacement can be done by any equipment of the Internet network (Proxy server, router, ...) or by the terminal of the customer. In the case of a router, it is for example equipped with specialized software that can perform the aforementioned operation of "spying" Internet frames, on HTTP packets responses to requests of type "GET" or " POST".

 In order to reduce the size of the search preceding the replacement, it may be decided to limit this search to privileged access URLs including a particular character string. We can consider including this string in any of the constituent fields of a URL. Thus, with the string "800" and starting from a URL of the type "http: //www.aa.AA/BB/c=CCC,d=DDD", one can imagine the following cases (this list n is not exhaustive) - http: //www.aa.AA/BB/c=CCC,d=800 - http800: //www.aa.AA/BB/c=CCC,d=DDD - http: // www.aa.AA / BB / 800 / c = CCC, d = 800 - http: //www.aa.AA/800/BB/c=CCC,d=800 Please note that these URLs may be processed by the site manager server to point to the original resource, by simple configuration of this server.

Claims (12)

A method of granting privileges by an access manager within a communication network to at least some of its clients, said communication network interconnecting a plurality of sites (A, B) to which a client can access via a terminal (1, 2), by activating a corresponding access link, characterized in that it manages a list of privileged access links (URLl), each corresponding to a site (A) and / or a service of a site, a partnership agreement having been concluded between said access manager and a manager of said site for said privileged access links, and when an access link activated and / or received by one of said clients is one of said privileged access links (URLl), it is replaced by a substitution access link (URL '), so that said client accesses, via an intermediate device (8) of said communication network corresponding to said link alternative access to a destination belonging to the group comprising - said site (A) and / or said service corresponding to said activated access link (URL 1) and / or received; - site (B) and / or a different service, distinct from that corresponding to said activated access link (URLl) and / or received. 2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that said access manager within the communication network belongs to the group comprising - the access providers, providing an interconnection between said communication network (3) and a telecommunications network (4, 5); - providers not providing access. 3. Method according to any one of claims 1 and 2, characterized in that the replacement of one of said privileged access links and / or the activation of one of said substitution access links requires the agreement of said client and / or said site manager and / or said access manager. 4. Method according to claim 3, characterized in that said agreement of the site manager and / or said access manager is a function of the membership of said client to a group of predetermined clients. 5. Method according to any one of claims 3 and 4, characterized in that, in the absence of the agreement of said client and / or said site manager, it is proposed to said client to access without privilege to said site and / or said service corresponding to the privileged access link activated and / or received. 6. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that said privileged access links and / or said alternative access links are directly identifiable, the terminal (1, 2) of one of said clients. 7. Method according to claim 6, characterized in that said identification of one of said privileged access links and / or one of said substitution access links consists of a modification of the graphical representation and / or sound, by said terminal, said privileged access link (URL1) and / or said substitution access link (URL '). 8. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the replacement of said privileged access links by one of said substitution access links is performed according to one of the techniques belonging to the group comprising - prior static replacement by said site manager; dynamic replacement, by an equipment of said communication network and / or equipment of said client. 9. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that, in order to find the privileged access link that replaces said substitute access link, said intermediate equipment (8) implements a technique belonging to the group. including - unencapsulating said privileged access link contained in said alternate access link; consultation of a correspondence table associating with each substitute access link the privileged access link it replaces. 10. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the privileges associated with each of said alternative access links belong to the group comprising - modification of the costs of access to a site and / or a service d 'a website ; - access to a site and / or part of a reserved site; - access to a particular service of a site; - access to a site and / or service of a site via a specific circuit. 11. Method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that said communication network (3) is an internet-type network and in that said access links are address-addresses (URL) pages information. 12. System for granting privileges by an access manager within a communication network (3) to at least some of its clients, said communication network interconnecting a plurality of sites (A, B) to which a client can selectively access via a terminal (1, 2), by activating a corresponding access link, characterized in that it comprises - means for managing a list of privileged access links (URL1), each corresponding to a site (A) and / or a service of a site, a partnership agreement having been concluded between said access manager and a manager of said site for said privileged access links; means for replacing an access link activated and / or received by one of said clients, if it is one of said privileged access links, by a substitution access link (URL '), so that said client accesses, via an intermediate device of said communication network corresponding to said substitution access link, to a destination belonging to the group comprising said site (A) and / or said service corresponding to said privileged access link (URL1 ) activated and / or received; - a site (B) and / or a different service, different from that corresponding to said privileged access link (URL1) activated and / or received.